icon Pedernales River Chili
(by Lyndon Johnson, 36th President of the United States)

Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States and was in office in 1963-1969. Historians attribute the following statement to him:

"Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better".
He obviously never ate chili from New Mexico, but let's leave that aside for now.

The Pedernales River Chili recipe was President Lyndon B. Johnson’s chili recipe, named after his ranch in the Texas Hill Country. The First Lady had cards printed with the recipe, and it was so popular that Mrs. Johnson had it printed and mailed to satisfy thousands of requests fielded from around the country.

Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs coarsely-ground beef
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 6 tsp ground chile powder
  • 2 (16-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, cut up
  • 2-6 dashes hot sauce, or to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cups hot water

Preparation:

  1. In a large frying pan, brown meat with onion and garlic until meat is lightly browned. Transfer ingredients to a large heavy kettle or cast-iron Dutch oven.
  2. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, hot sauce, salt, and hot water. Bring just to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for approximately 1 hour.
  3. Remove from heat. Skim off fat and serve.
  4. YIELD: Serves 12.

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    Last updated: February 15, 2017